Time flew by quickly, and before I knew it, the day before Keiko’s departure to Hawaii had arrived. She had taken the day off from work to finalize her preparations for the three-month trip. I sighed as I slumped into the chair in the staff room, feeling the weight of the upcoming separation.
Aki, ever the sharp-eyed observer, immediately picked up on my mood. "Tomorrow’s the big day, huh?" She teased, leaning back with a smug grin. "I can tell you’re sulking."
I sighed again, not even trying to hide it.
Aki smirked. "You must be worried that she’ll meet some handsome foreign guy over there. What if she comes back and introduces us to her new American boyfriend?"
I nearly choked on my own breath. "What? No way! That’s—" I stopped mid-sentence, suddenly questioning myself. Wait… that’s impossible, right? Right?!
Aki burst out laughing. "Damn, that reaction says everything. You are scared!"
"Stop talking nonsense, Aki," I grumbled, rubbing my temples.
Before Aki could push further, Ruka, who had been eavesdropping, crossed her arms and gave Aki a pointed look. "Enough, Aki. You’re messing with her too much."
Aki pouted like a scolded child and quickly turned to me. "Sorry, Ryuko. I went too far."
I sighed but shook my head. "It’s fine. Just don’t give me a heart attack next time."
After finishing my shift, I headed home, where the reality of Keiko’s departure hit me even harder. A massive suitcase sat in the living room, a silent reminder that she'd be gone for three months.
Keiko, looking busy as ever, was sorting through documents and checking her travel itinerary for what must have been the hundredth time.
"Keiko, need any help?" I asked as I stepped inside.
She looked up, startled. "Oh, you're home already? I didn't even notice."
I chuckled. "You’re that focused, huh?"
"Yeah…" she admitted with a small sigh. "I’ve never been overseas before. I just want to make sure I have everything in order."
As I glanced around, something felt off. The dining table was empty. Normally, Keiko cooked dinner for us almost every night, but it seemed she had completely lost track of time.
"Keiko, did you eat already?" I asked.
She blinked, checking the clock on the wall. "Huh? What time is it?"
I raised an eyebrow. "It’s 9 PM."
She gasped. "Wait—what? I thought it was still six!" She rubbed her forehead. "But you’re home already, so… right… time really slipped away."
I crossed my arms, feeling a little worried. "You need to take care of yourself. Tomorrow’s a big day."
She nodded, looking a bit embarrassed. "I know. I just got caught up in my nerves."
I sighed and rolled up my sleeves. "Alright. I’ll make us dinner."
Keiko blinked in surprise. "Eh? You’re going to cook?"
I smirked. "What? You think I can’t?"
She chuckled. "It’s just rare. But… thank you."
I walk to the refrigerator and check what we have, looking for something simple to make.
"Anytime," I said with a grin. "Miso soup sound good?"
Her eyes immediately lit up. "Yes! Ahh, I’m gonna miss miso soup!"
I chuckled at her enthusiasm and got to work in the kitchen. As I prepped the ingredients, I kept the conversation going. "Other than miso soup, what else will you miss?"
Keiko tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… sushi, ramen… basically all my favorite foods."
I laughed. "So just food, huh?"
She hesitated for a second before quietly adding, "You and Rin too."
I paused, caught off guard. The words were simple, but coming from Keiko—who was usually so reserved—they carried a lot of weight.
Before I could respond, she quickly changed the subject. "Focus on your cooking! Don’t just stand there."
"Oh, right!" I hurriedly went back to chopping vegetables, pretending I hadn’t just felt my heart skip a beat.
Once dinner was ready, we ate together in comfortable silence. When we finished, I cleared the dishes and washed them, but when I turned back around, I noticed Keiko was still sitting at the table, staring at her hands.
Something felt… heavy in the air.
Slowly, I reached out and took her hand. She flinched slightly but didn’t pull away.
"You’ll do great," I told her with a reassuring smile.
She looked up at me, her usual calm expression wavering for a moment. Before she could say anything, I pulled her into a gentle hug, giving her a soft pat on the back.
"Just talk to me anytime if you want to, whether it's good or bad things happen. I’ll be here. Even if it’s 2 AM, 3 AM, 4 AM—I’ll pick up your call."
She let out a quiet chuckle against my shoulder. "You’re exaggerating."
"Maybe," I admitted. "But I mean it."
Keiko hesitated for a second before wrapping her arms around me and sighing. "Thank you. It makes me feel less nervous."
"Good. Anything else I can do to help—"
Before I could finish my sentence, she pulled me into a tighter hug.
"Let me... I need to charge up this warmth for three months," she murmured.
I froze, my face heating up. Since when did Keiko get this bold?!
Swallowing my embarrassment, I slowly hugged her back. We stayed like that for a while before finally saying goodnight.
The next morning, the inevitable moment arrived.
Keiko stood by the door, her suitcase beside her, dressed casually but still effortlessly elegant. Rin and I both looked at her with the same sad expression.
"Mom, good luck," Rin said, trying her best to sound cheerful.
Keiko took a deep breath before responding. "Take care of each other, alright? No fighting." She smiled slightly before turning to me. "Ryusei, take care of Rin."
"I will. Don’t worry."
We exchanged one last wave before she finally stepped out the door. As soon as it closed, I felt the weight of the empty house settle around me.
I glanced at Rin, who was standing beside me, staring at the door.
For some reason, I suddenly felt nervous.
"A-Alright! I need to get ready for work," I blurted out, breaking the silence.
Rin didn’t say anything. She just turned and quietly started getting ready for school.
I really hoped we’d be okay.